


Just Do It

by Impala_Chick



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, College, Gen, Plans For The Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 20:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10647165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Chick/pseuds/Impala_Chick
Summary: Future!Nate travels back in time because he has something very important to say to Nate Fick.





	Just Do It

**Author's Note:**

> I may work on future chapters of this. Saved from LJ.

_What do I want?_

The actual question was much more complicated and long-winded and dramatic, but really it came down to that.

Because college was getting old. Sure, he had his good friends and he chose classes he was genuinely interested in. But everywhere he went he was reminded that this was not the real world. The campus was filled with the nerds, the jocks, the pretty girls – everyone comfortable in their category. Students smiled and waved at each other, books in hand. None of them were in any particular hurry. He walked past undergrads who were sprawled on the lawn, gazing at the sky, seemingly thinking about nothing. In class, students filed in and dropped down next to people they already knew. Students raised their hands just to get participation points. His professor often had to call on students just to get a conversation started in the first place.

The shiny, new, hopeful feeling that had enveloped him the first time he had stepped foot on the Dartmouth campus had started to fade. Not that he felt there were no opportunities for him. After all, they let him work his own hours at his internship and he was getting good grades. There was even the occasional assignment that would truly excite him, make him want to hit the books as hard as he could to uncover some bold new truth.

Graduation was looming, and his parents had called him at least three times in the past week asking if he had made any plans yet.

Something was missing in his life. This Nate knew. But he sat there with the papers in his hand, his pen still tucked behind his ear. He had already reread them at least 5 times. He still wasn’t sure.

Someone knocked sharply at the door, and Nate huffed out a breath before getting up to answer it. He had wanted to be alone to think for a little while longer.

Whoever it was must have been in a hurry, because three more knocks penetrated the silence before Nate called out “Coming! Chill out.”

He threw the door open and his jaw almost hit the floor. It was… himself. Only, older. His brain started to tell him it couldn’t be, that wouldn’t be rational for himself to be standing there, but somehow he just knew. There were crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes and his skin seemed a little darker, like he had a west coast suntan or something equally exotic. These were the only details he could register before older-him pushed him aside to shut the door.

“Nate, listen. I don’t have much time. I am you, from the future.”

“Uh, okay. So you are older.” Present-Nate offered lamely. Older, or well, future-Nate’s voice was so commanding. It kind of reminded him of his dad. Present-Nate’s brow wrinkled in confusion, and future-Nate rolled his eyes.

“Did you fall through a black hole or something?” Present-Nate asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. He appraised future-Nate, amazed at how short his hair was. It was almost military regulation. Present-Nate stared at the way his jeans fit snug on his hips and his T-shirt stretched across defined abs. Future-Nate wasn’t any bigger than he was, yet the room seemed to be filled by his powerful presence. Present-Nate saw a chain around his neck, but whatever was connected to it was hidden under his shirt. He saw a pen tucked behind his ear, just the way the pen was still stuck behind Present-Nate’s ear.

“There is no time to explain. Just listen to what I’m trying to tell you. Yo, Nate!”

Present-Nate snapped his eyes back up to future-Nate’s face. Future-Nate was glaring at him, his hand on his hip. There was something akin to determination that lit up his face and made his eyes look like they were on fire.

Present-Nate felt intimidated for a second. But c’mon, this was himself he was talking to.

“You need to sign those papers, Nate. I know you are thinking it won’t be what you expect, that you can’t handle it, that you won’t find what you are looking for. I can assure you that on the first count you are right, but on the second two counts you are wrong. Well, mostly wrong.”

“How can I trust that you aren’t some kind of trick the future is playing on me?” Present-Nate asked, stretching to his full height to look future-Nate in the eye. As soon as the words left his lips, present-Nate knew he wouldn’t lie to himself.

"I didn’t come all the way here just to fuck with you. Just do it, okay? You won’t regret it. I don’t regret it.”

Present-Nate nodded slowly. The tension that had caused future-Nate’s face to look so stern dissolved, and future-Nate smiled a smile that lit up his entire face. He looked… happy.

Present-Nate wasn’t sure when he had last smiled like that.

Future-Nate reached into his pocket to grip something before turning around to open the door. He paused for a second, then turned back around. But not before present-Nate noticed the pistol tucked into his waistband. In the future, he was packing.

“By the way, don’t go to the party that Stephanie will invite you to next weekend. It probably won’t… go the way you want it to.” Future-Nate grimaced, apparently reminiscing about some memory that present-Nate did not yet have.

“Whatever you say, sir.” Present-Nate mocked. Future-Nate snorted and stepped through the door way. The door swung shut behind him. Present-Nate lunged forward to wrench the door open, but future-Nate was already gone.

He hadn’t even asked what year he was from.

Present-Nate took the pen from behind his ear and started scrawling his name across the bottom of his USMC enlistment papers.


End file.
